Growing Interest with Mary Holland Nader

The Scams Coming for Your Money Right Now — And How to Stop Them | Cybersecurity Girl

October 6, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Scams Coming for Your Money Right Now — And How to Stop Them

Cybersecurity Girl (Caitlin) spent nearly a decade working behind the scenes at major companies including TikTok, where she helped manage the fallout during the ban controversies. But her core message is surprisingly simple: cybersecurity is no longer a tech problem. "The whole reason behind scams is really hijacking your brain," she says. "They are literally hijacking your amygdala, which is a part of your brain that actually makes the decisions. And that is not your fault."

The Psychology of Being Scammed

The most effective scams don't rely on technical sophistication. They rely on urgency. "Your account will be closed. You have to do this now. Click here, send the money," Caitlin explains. Scammers create panic because they know that when your amygdala is activated, you stop thinking clearly. The shame that follows—"How could I fall for that?"—keeps victims silent, which only helps scammers continue.

Her advice for breaking the spell: have a buddy you can send a screenshot to. "That gets you out of the urgent situation, allows you to review, hover over the link, and ask a friend." She also recommends asking AI for a second opinion. The key is to interrupt the urgency loop before you act.

The Four Things That Stop 95% of Attacks

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What you'll learn

1 (00:44) **Introduction & Caitlin’s Origin Story** - Caitlin (Cybersecurity Girl) explains how she started her anonymous TikTok account while working a corporate job, was later hired by TikTok, and gives an insider perspective on the company’s security tensions.
2 (06:15) **Wildest Hacker Story** - A live demonstration of hacking a fake heart monitor and a real-world case of unpatched drug dispensers in an elderly care facility.
3 (08:24) **The Top Three Cybersecurity Basics** - Passwords, multi-factor authentication, and software updates are the critical habits that prevent 95% of attacks.
4 (10:16) **Biggest Money Scams Right Now** - The “long con” investment scam and identity theft are the most prevalent threats for young adults.
5 (12:15) **Why You Cannot Trust Any Call or Email** - Even calls that appear to come from your bank can be spoofed; the only safe move is to hang up and call the official number.
6 (14:26) **Voice Cloning, Family Safe Words, and Kidnapping Scams** - AI voice cloning is making family impersonation scams more convincing; a family safe word is a simple defense.
7 (17:11) **The Psychology of Scams** - Cybersecurity is now a psychology issue; scammers hijack your brain’s urgency response, not your technical ignorance.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

We spend a lot of time talking about how to build wealth. But how do you protect it? This week, Mary sits down with Caitlin Sarian, better known as Cybersecurity Girl, to find out what hackers and scammers know about us that we don’t, and the everyday habits that could be making our money easier to steal.

After nearly a decade working behind the scenes in cybersecurity, including leading Global Cybersecurity Advocacy and Culture at TikTok, Caitlin has seen how people actually get hacked, what makes someone an easy target, and why the stereotype that scams only happen to older people could be making the rest of us more vulnerable.

Caitlin breaks down:

- the money scams she’s seeing right now

- the “harmless” online behaviors hackers love

- whether it’s safe to give AI your financial information

Plus, she gives Mary Holland her 60-second cybersecurity checklist and reveals the changes she’s made in her own life after spending years around some of the smartest hackers in the world.

Keep Up With Mary Holland

Instagram: ⁠@MaryHollandNader⁠

TikTok: ⁠@MaryHollandNader⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠@MaryHolland⁠

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